I love you too, her voice whispered. He scooped her up into his arms and carried her off to bed. He crawled in next to her when she refused to let go of her grip around his neck. Once he had laid down next to her, she nuzzled into his neck, her favorite spot, she often told him. He wrapped his arms around her and soothingly strummed her back with his fingers, while kissing the top of her head. He was thankful she was allowing him to be with her, to soothe her pain if only a little and if only for one night. One night at a time, he thought.
ALICE
ALICE AWOKE WITHOUT FEELING REALLY rested. Her life was made up of chaos and despair. She could feel the fight within her, that light in the depths of her soul that was meant to save them all, calling out to her not to lose faith. She glanced at the clock to find it was merely six a.m. She stared at the sleeping body of Cole and wondered how it was he managed to stay so together and strong as he too had endured the same hell she had. She knew in that moment she wasn’t meant to understand her gifts or her destiny either. She was only meant to endure and survive it. Though the death of her grandfather weighed heavily on her heart, she knew he would want her to carry on and find her strength once again.
Alice? Can you come down stairs as quickly as possible? Briathos’ voice rang in her mind.
On my way. She was worried about what he wanted. She darted around her room searching for clothes, sniffing them to see how many times she had worn those jeans and thermal shirt. “Oh who cares,” she whispered, as she got dressed. She quickly went downstairs searching for her Fallen roommate, finding him in the living room. “Okay, why are you freaking me out at six a.m.?”
“Sorry, I didn’t want to startle you but I can feel it, it’s happening.”
“Briathos, it’s been a long few days so can we not be cryptic?”
“Right, my apologies. The fourth seal has been broken by the Lamb.”
“Shit.” Cole, wake up and get downstairs. Alice threw her hair back into a ponytail to stop herself from messing with her hair while her nerves ran rampant. “I still don’t understand why “the Lamb” would do that to us.”
“You mean to them.”
“What’s going on?” Cole asked as he groggily entered the room.
“Right. No matter how many times I remind myself I’m a half breed, I still think I’m part of mankind, how vacuous of me. Okay why would He do that to mankind if they are loved by His Father so damn much?”
“That is how it was written that it had to be done. Alice, I don’t know why God or the Lamb do what they do or why it is nearly impossible to change their minds. We could debate on this subject matter for a lifetime and the truth is, it doesn’t matter. It is the way it was designed to be. We have to stop the seals from being broken and honestly, I’m not sure if we can. That’s not even the worst part.”
“What is then? Because this sounds pretty awful to me.”
“Death is the fourth horseman. And with him follows Hades. Remember when we spoke about the guardianship?”
”Yes,” they said in unison.
“The evil beings, the Fallen that followed Lucifer during the fall and are loyal to him still, will roam, visible, on this earth, causing incredible horrors. The first Horseman of Conquest will continue to aid in what you call government power, which is nothing more than conquering all those that oppose, as it seems your government has been doing since the first seal was broken. All of the Horseman will be more visible as they gather to ride together. The second Horseman of War combined with Conquest will start World War III within, I believe, days of the final Horseman’s release. The third Horseman of Famine, with the help of the first two Horseman, will make it impossible for the poor and middle class to be able to afford nourishment for themselves and their families. The fourth Horseman will unleash the darkest of evils and with the combination of all of the Horsemen and the hell that follows them, they will be given the power over a quarter of the earth and they will kill by sword, by famine, and by plague that quarter of the population.”
“That’s almost two billion people! Can they be stopped?” she stood baffled.
“Sadly, I don’t believe so.” Briathos felt useless as a Fallen. “Wait! There was talk in my early days that if someone of worthy blood came forth to speak on humankind’s behalf to the Almighty Himself, that He could stop the unopened seals from being opened and even re-seal the first four, if the Lamb had opened them unjustly.”
“How do we find out who that is?” Cole asked.
“I believe that person is Alice,” Briathos answered honestly.
“Me? Wait, I’m supposed to save all the Fallen, their abominations, of which I am one by the way, and mankind? How would I do this exactly?” She was infuriated now.
“I’m not sure how exactly. I believe that because of your heritage, He will speak to you on behalf of mankind and while you are there you can speak for the rest of us, as you are part human and part Fallen.”
“My heritage?”
“Your blood line can be traced to Enoch, he who first asked God to accept his Fallen Angels back home and who was denied many lifetimes ago.”
“Book of Enoch, Enoch? You have to be kidding! Why does no one tell me any of this crap until it’s nearly too late!” Alice kicked her coffee table, enraged, cracking it nearly in two.
“We only have a few weeks before mankind kills itself off. I wouldn’t doubt that Rogziel will be returning soon to throw us all into the abyss or the field of the damned during all of the chaos. I’m assuming you’ve only worked your gift with your family and not the Fallen on your property.”
“Yes. Why?”
“If you want to prove they are worthy, you’d better make sure they are. Cole, please use your numbing ability to try and calm her down. I’ll make coffee and contact the others.”
“I think somebody is getting bossy now that they’re used to being a Fallen,” Cole said jokingly. The other two snickered at him. “That was a lot of information. Are you all right, well, as much as you can be?”
“I’m fine, I’m just pissed off.” She yelled the last two words. “He’s right, though. Can you move two chairs into the garage and move your car so I can do my best to get through this as quickly as possible since time is of the essence, it seems.” She reached out for his hand reassuringly.
“Of course, Love.” Cole brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently before exiting the room to do as she asked.
“Hope you’re getting ready for me, Big Guy, because I plan to meet You one way or another,” she said, looking up at the ceiling, imagining the clouds beyond it were a way to heaven.
ALICE HAD BEEN SITTING IN a not-so-comfortable chair staring into the eyes of Fallen and Nephilim, seeing their pasts and helping them forgive themselves, if that is what she was doing. She was unclear on whether she was the one forgiving them or only guiding them to forgive themselves. Whichever it may be, she knew she had to continue to listen to all those who joined her. Some part of her told her that what she was doing was exactly what she was meant to do and that slightly comforted her. Some stopped her and fled in fear that they were not worthy and she let them go, giving them the space they needed, though Paul and Kokabiel often chased after them, trying to ease their worries. Cole brought food and drinks to her, ordering her to take a break, as often as he could. She could hear her father arguing with Briathos about the way he had just blurted out the information and just as she was about to involve herself, Jake stepped in, calming them down and putting them in their place. He winked at Alice when he walked by, checking on her, as he knew it was physically, mentally and emotionally draining to save a Fallen from himself. She said in her announcement to all the nearby Fallen, “How can God forgive you if you cannot forgive yourselves?” She was right and they all knew it.
The next Fallen sat awkwardly in front of her. “Just relax and look into my eyes.”
“Okay.”
She searched for the glow inside of him and when she turned up empty, worry was screaming
under her flesh. There was an eeriness about this particular Fallen, that wasn’t sitting right with her. Jake, something’s not right with this one. She smiled oddly at the Fallen as she cautiously rummaged through his memories. The one he allowed her to see was more like images flashing in her mind. The Fall. Just as she felt like she too was falling through the sky mere feet from the ground, Jake latched on to the Fallen and dragged him ten feet from Alice.
“Why are you here?” Jake shouted at him.
“I was asked to see if it was true, if the Fallen savior had been born.”
“By who? What does he call you?” Paul asked as he rushed over.
“By the one who started this all. He’s not keen on choosing the abyss or heaven. He wants to help stop the seals from being opened,” the Fallen hissed.
“Name,” Paul demanded.
“I am called Azael. You would know him as Lucifer.”
Alice was frozen in fear, she never thought about Lucifer actually roaming the earth but now it seemed so obvious to her. While Alice watched her Fallen family debate on using his help, to her it seemed that was partly how they got their in the first place and from her earlier conversation with Briathos, it seemed that Lucifer’s followers had a part to play which was to wreak havoc on mankind. “We decline your offer.”
“Decline?” Azael said with disbelief.
“I don’t know what end game you all are playing, but I can see from here it doesn’t match up to ours. So please leave and never return.”
“We want to exist as any other does!” Azael pleaded.
“She said her peace; time to go,” Jake said, standing in front of Alice.
“You may regret this decision, young Nephilim,” Azael said as he released his torn bat like wings and took off into the sunset.
“We didn’t need any more enemies, Alice; I fear that may have been the wrong call,” her father said.
“I know that. What we do need is to side ourselves with those who want to return to heaven, those who want to save our families from eternal suffering or being damned to the abyss. I see no good in joining forces with the very ones who started this trouble in the first place. Staring into him I saw no light, only darkness, covered in wrath and malice. They feel no remorse for the wrongs they have committed. In fact, they don’t see the things they’ve done as wrong. Can you honestly tell me God would forgive any of us with them at our side? They only want to fight to keep their existence intact and not for the reasons we fight.”
“You’re right. If we joined with them it would cancel out all the good we’ve done,” Kokabiel said. “Penemue?”
“I agree. I apologize if I jumped to conclusions. I only want us to have a better shot at being successful; as of now the cards are stacked against us.”
“Cards?” Briathos asked puzzled. Alice laughed in response.
“Briathos, my friend, we have much to teach you in such a short time,” Kokabiel said wrapping his arm around him.
“Next,” Alice called out, back to business. She was overly tired from expending so much energy but she knew time was not on her side.
ALICE
IT HAD BEEN ONLY A few days since Alice began saving the Fallen. She looked as if she were freezing as she sat in the garage with a small space heater. Fallen after Fallen sat in front of her looking for salvation. She reminded them often that what she was doing was merely one step in saving them. They all felt the impact of what she was doing, feeling more and more that she was the savior. Cole and Jake made her take breaks regularly because she would just keep going until there was nothing left of her. Dean Vassago stood next in line awaiting his turn to feel the savior’s love and forgiveness. She often told them that she was more of a mediator and that calling her a savior to anyone was misplaced wording. She did not want to be compared to the Lamb, who had unleashed hell on earth.
The news spoke of an unusual strain of a deadly virus that had taken more than one hundred thousand lives across the globe. There was no cure and they all knew why. They also knew this was only the beginning. Cole kept up on world news via the crappy TV in the living room or on Alice’s laptop. Several times a day he would update his father and with the information they could estimate how close they were to D-day.
“Vassago,” Kokabiel said with an open hand.
“Kokabiel, my dear friend. How is she doing?”
“She is stronger than we gave her credit for so she is doing well, but this is taking its toll on her.”
“I expected as much.” Vassago stood tall, not arrogant, but assertive and proud. “Cole, how are you doing with all of this?”
“I prefer this over our last trial.”
“Of course.”
“Dean Vassago, you’re up,” Alice whispered.
“That’s my cue, gentlemen.” Vassago walked swiftly to the chair across from Alice and sat down.
“Just look into my eyes and do not look away until I tell you.”
“Yes, of course,” Vassago did just that. Cole watched nearby, feeling fear crawl up his spine. The more Fallen and Nephilim Alice saved, the more they were all connected to them. When their emotions kicked into overdrive during her look into their light, all those connected to Alice could feel a fraction of what she felt, only because she had learned how to cloak the emotion so it didn’t cripple all of them. Connecting them all together was either going to help them or drastically put them at a disadvantage. Cole could feel the good in the Dean pulsing beneath his skin. It never ceased to amaze him the way Alice could hone in on the good inside them all.
“So, you’re the famous Cole?” James asked.
“Excuse me?” Cole asked startled.
“Alice talks about you or should I say blushes while thinking about what you two do on that counter,” James said gesturing toward the house.
“I really don’t want to know that,” Paul said with a disgusted look on his face.
“Oh, you must be dear old dad. My bad, sir,.” James said while winking at Cole.
“I assume you got this information from her active internal dialogue before she knew to block it from you?” Cole asked sternly.
“Touché. To be fair, some of it she did tell me herself. She didn’t exactly have a girlfriend to talk to about it and I am the closest thing to that. She was right.”
“About?”
“You are beautiful,” James smiled and winked at Cole.
“Alright, easy, man,” Cole said.
“Ha, you have a fan, Cole. How cute,” Jake said, laughing.
“Hilarious, Jake.”
“Relax, man. I wouldn’t dare piss off Alice. She is crazy strong and with the track record of her life, she’s waiting for someone to cross her so she can expel all of her built up rage. I was just teasing, anyway.”
“I can see why she likes you,” Cole said, still a little on edge. He turned to a smiling Jake and without thought, punched him in the arm.
“Ouch, what the hell, Cole?”
“Don’t be such a sissy; you know you deserved it with that shit-eating grin of yours.” Cole’s mischievous grin crawled up his face as he watched Jake rub his arm, attempting to will it to stop aching. Alice finally finished with Vassago and called James over next.
“James, I told you not to tease him.”
“But look at him, how could I help it, honestly?”
“Sit down,” Alice said, patting the seat across from her. She watched Vassago slightly stumble past his son over to where his brothers stood.
Cole reached his hand out to welcome Vassago to the porch for a little more support, by leaning against the house. He took it. “Easy there, it’s a little awkward at first.”
“I feel drunk,” Vassago said. “It’s been a very long time since I have felt this disorientated.” Paul and Kokabiel watched, recognizing the odd feeling that came along with Alice’s new parlor trick. Though this was much different than her floating feather trick by far, it never ceased to amaze them all what she was capable of doing. It gave them a
fraction of hope that maybe this time God would listen to her. Cole watched the Fallen and felt the lightness inside of them, which he knew was because Alice had lifted the weight off of their shoulders. He stared at her, watching her do whatever it was she was doing. He could feel the anxious energy of the Fallen in the chair across from her. He reached out his numbing shield to ease their panic while she found forgiveness in them, calming their worries and lifting the light inside of them. Their new overall airiness allowed the inner light to beam brightly, making them feel truly alive and connected to her and all the Fallen that had been saved before them. It may have been presumptuous for him to assume she was saving them but many times before this, the Fallen had claimed her to be their savior, similar to the way the Lamb was the Savior to all of mankind. Perhaps she was the Anti-Christ, or maybe there was a loophole and she was destined to save them all. Cole was lost in his thoughts when he felt the burn of Alice’s stare on his skin. He smiled at her gently, reassuring her that his wandering mind was not about any doubt he had with her or her abilities. He wandered inside the house to make her something to eat. This ability took a toll on her energy and overall welfare. Paul came in the house looking distraught.
“Hungry?” Cole offered.
“No, thank you. She just looks so pale and her eyes look dark as if she hadn’t slept for days. I want to stop her but I know she won’t listen to me.” Paul had finally embraced his love for his daughter. It was reassuring to Cole, knowing that he was now making choices based on her welfare and not his kind.
“She has survived far worse and you know she won’t listen to either of us. Maybe Briathos or Jake.” That hit a nerve for him. Though he had finally made some peace with her relationship with the two Fallen, he still longed for it to be himself that she always found comfort in.
Alice's Insurrection (Alice Clark Series) Page 9
